How To Find a Job on Twitter

I moved from my hometown of Cleveland, Ohio, to Australia – thanks to Twitter.

I recently started a new role as a social media specialist at Switched On Media, a digital agency in Sydney, a job I found by tweet, tweet, tweeting. I love sharing this story because it’s a great argument for why students and young grads should be active on social media channels and it illustrates the power of these online networking tools on a global scale.

My experience helped me come up with some advice on how to use Twitter in your job hunt. Although my goal was to move to Australia, these same tips can apply to someone looking for a job domestically, or even a position in their home city.

Run searches (location-based) for job opening keywords that people are tweeting. Look for words like “hiring” or “entry–level.” If it’s a large region or city, add in terms specific to the role you want such as “hiring” AND “marketing.” You can look for Twitter accounts that share automated RSS feeds of job openings, but it’s always better to look for actual people. A person is going to hire you, not a computer. The next step is to follow anyone who is tweeting about these job openings. Even if you’re not planning on applying for that particular job, still follow them. Build your network, and look for local connectors who might help you later.

Take time to do some research on the companies where you want to work. Find out if they are active on social media. If they have a Twitter account, follow them. Next, look for the names of people who work for that company and try to find them on Twitter. You might try looking at the company Twitter account to see if they already have a list of all their employees with accounts. It’s important to set yourself up for opportunities to listen.

Create public and private Twitter lists. If you are conducting your job search in multiple cities or locations, it might help you to create private lists to keep track of new people. You could also publicly list people by company or industry, but don’t necessarily let them know how you are classifying them. Lists are a way to get others to notice you. If you place someone on a list, there is a better chance of them noticing and revisiting your profile/bio (especially if they didn’t the first time around). Don’t worry about long titles. Keep the lists general. I have one called “Sydney Digitals” that I created during my job search, and I continue to add local contacts.

Update your bio and location. People are far more likely to take an interest in you and follow back if you have something in your bio about wanting to relocate to their city. During my job search, I updated my bio to say I was looking to relocate to Australia in the fall. I had people who follow me wish me luck with my move or ask questions about it. When I got closer to my move date, I actually updated my location to say Cleveland and Sydney. It helps connect you to the place you want to move.

In the end, remember…you aren’t going to get a job on Twitter. Wait — wasn’t that the point of this advice? Let me explain…

Twitter is just a tool. It has great networking potential, but being on Twitter alone isn’t the answer to your problems. Undergrads are often told they should be utilizing social networks because it can get them internships and job offers. They sign up for Twitter and start following some professionals and companies, but they don’t understand the full potential.

Just being on Twitter doesn’t get you the job. Being awesome gets you a job; Twitter is just the tool.

Good luck with the search, friends – and please intro yourself on Twitter if we haven’t met @HannahDeMilta

Hannah DeMilta I'm originally from Cleveland, Ohio but recently moved to beautiful Sydney, Australia. I'm a Social Media Specialist at digital agency, Switched On Media here in Sydney. I'm a graduate of Otterbein College where I studied Public Relations with a Deaf Culture/Language minor. I'm passionate about community service, tennis, travel and helping people. Feel free to send me a tweet and say "hi" - I love meeting new people: @HannahDeMilta

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